6:30 AM.
Vash slowly opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he remained still.
Then he remembered.
The recipe book.
He sat up.
"Grandma."
No answer.
Vash looked toward the door.
He remembered what she had said the night before.
Tomorrow.
He smiled.
Today, he was going to see it.
Vash opened his system.
---
[ORDINARY SYSTEM]
Host: Vash
Age: 14
Level: 1
Physical Attributes
Strength: 6.0 / 10
Agility: 5.0 / 10
Endurance: 4.0 / 10
Reaction: 5.0 / 10
Recovery Data
Rehabilitation Progress: 0.9
Walking Stability: 0.8
Balance: 0.9
Skills
Cooking — Basic
Mathematics — Basic
English — Basic
Observation — Basic
Physical Rehabilitation — Beginner
Business Sense — Beginner
System Points: 37 / 100
---
Vash looked at the numbers.
"Still going up."
[Confirmed.]
"Slowly."
[Correct.]
Vash smiled.
"That's fine."
He closed the interface and carefully got out of bed.
His legs still trembled, but he was able to stand without immediately grabbing the wall.
That alone made him smile.
One step.
Two.
Three.
He continued toward the restaurant.
---
The smell of freshly cooked noodles greeted him as soon as he entered.
Grandma was already in the kitchen.
Grandpa was preparing the restaurant for the morning customers.
Vash walked toward his grandmother.
"Grandma."
She looked at him.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
Vash smiled.
"You remember what you promised me?"
Grandma stared at him for a moment.
Then she laughed.
"The recipe book?"
"Yes."
"I haven't forgotten."
"Can I see it now?"
"Later."
Vash frowned.
"You said tomorrow."
"It is tomorrow."
"Exactly."
Grandma laughed.
"I have to prepare breakfast first."
Vash sighed.
"Fine."
He turned toward the dining area.
Then he noticed something.
The restaurant had already started getting busy.
A few customers came in.
"Chicken noodles."
"Egg noodles."
"Two fried chickens."
Vash watched carefully.
He had an idea.
Instead of simply helping his grandparents, he wanted to understand the restaurant.
He grabbed a small notebook.
---
For the next few hours, Vash quietly observed.
He wrote down every order.
Chicken noodles — 8
Egg noodles — 5
Vegetable noodles — 3
Chicken fried rice — 6
Egg fried rice — 4
Fried chicken — 7
He also noted the time.
Morning customers mostly ordered noodles.
Around lunchtime, fried rice became more popular.
Students usually ordered the cheaper meals.
Workers often ordered chicken dishes.
Vash looked at his notebook.
Interesting.
He opened the system.
"System."
[Yes.]
"Can you store this information?"
[Confirmed.]
"Can you analyze it?"
[Basic analysis available.]
The screen changed.
---
[BUSINESS DATA ANALYSIS]
Observation Period: 3 hours
Most Ordered Dish: Chicken Noodles
Second: Fried Chicken
Peak Customer Period: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Student Customers: High
Ingredient Waste: Moderate
Potential Improvement: Reduce preparation delays during peak hours.
---
Vash stared at the information.
"That's useful."
[Basic analysis completed.]
Vash thought for a moment.
If chicken noodles were the most popular, they could prepare some ingredients earlier.
During lunch, they could prepare more fried rice ingredients before the rush.
That might reduce waiting time.
And perhaps they could make a simple meal combination for students.
Nothing expensive.
Just noodles with a small drink.
Vash wrote the ideas in his notebook.
Then he heard a familiar voice.
"What are you doing?"
Vash turned.
Rohan stood at the entrance with his backpack.
"You're early."
Rohan looked at the notebook.
"What is that?"
"Business."
Rohan stared at him.
"Business?"
Vash nodded seriously.
Rohan laughed.
"You were asleep for two years and woke up wanting to become a businessman?"
Vash rolled his eyes.
"I'm serious."
Rohan sat down beside him.
"Okay. Show me."
Vash handed him the notebook.
Rohan read the numbers.
"You recorded all of this?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I want to help Grandpa and Grandma."
Rohan looked toward the kitchen.
"They already have customers."
"I know."
Vash pointed at the notebook.
"But look."
He explained what he had noticed.
The popular dishes.
The busy hours.
The students.
The waiting time.
Then he explained his ideas.
Rohan listened carefully.
"What if you prepare too much food and nobody buys it?"
Vash paused.
"Then we'd waste ingredients."
"Exactly."
Vash nodded.
"Then we shouldn't prepare too much."
Rohan pointed at another note.
"And this student combo?"
"Cheap meal. Noodles and tea."
"Could work."
Rohan thought for a moment.
"But you'd need to calculate whether the price actually gives your grandparents a profit."
Vash stared at him.
"You're right."
He quickly wrote it down.
Rohan smiled.
"Maybe I'm the businessman."
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
They both laughed.
The system appeared.
---
[Practical Business Analysis Detected]
[Business Sense experience gained.]
Business Sense: Beginner
Progress: +0.2
---
Vash looked at the notification.
"So discussing ideas counts too?"
[Practical reasoning contributes to skill development.]
Vash smiled.
"Good."
Rohan raised an eyebrow.
"What did it say?"
"Nothing."
"You have that weird look again."
Vash closed the system.
"Forget it."
---
The afternoon passed quickly.
Vash continued helping at the restaurant.
He carried plates.
Cleaned tables.
Recorded orders.
And watched how his grandparents worked.
He didn't want to change everything.
Grandpa's Noodles had survived for years because his grandparents understood their customers.
Vash simply wanted to make their work easier.
That was all.
Later, when the restaurant became quiet, Vash returned to the kitchen.
Grandma was washing dishes.
He looked toward the cupboard.
Then back at her.
"Grandma."
She sighed.
"I know."
She dried her hands.
"You really want that book, don't you?"
Vash nodded.
"Yes."
Grandma walked toward the old cupboard.
She opened it.
For a moment, she searched through the shelves.
Then she reached toward the back.
Her hand disappeared behind several old containers.
She pulled something out.
An old book.
Its cover was worn.
The edges were faded.
It looked like it had been used for decades.
Vash stared at it.
"That's it?"
Grandma nodded.
"This has been in our family for a very long time."
"How long?"
She smiled.
"Longer than you think."
Vash carefully took the book.
It was heavier than he expected.
He looked at the cover.
There was no fancy title.
Only a few faded words:
Grandma's Recipes
Vash opened the cover.
The first page was filled with handwritten notes.
Different handwriting.
Different ink.
Some pages looked extremely old.
Vash turned another page.
Then another.
His eyes widened.
These weren't just ordinary recipes.
There were notes beside the ingredients.
Cooking temperatures.
Preparation methods.
Small comments written in the margins.
And at the bottom of the first recipe was a sentence that caught his attention.
Vash leaned closer.
"What does this mean?"
Grandma suddenly became quiet.
Vash looked at her.
She stared at the book.
Then she smiled faintly.
"That's a story for another day."
Vash frowned.
"Another day?"
Grandma gently took the book from him.
"You're tired."
"But—"
"Tomorrow."
She closed the book.
Vash stared at it as she placed it back on the table.
Something about the way she had reacted made him even more curious.
There was something about this book.
Something his grandmother wasn't telling him.
That night, Vash lay in bed thinking about it.
He opened the system.
---
[DAILY TASKS]
1. Walk 20 steps. ✓
2. Rehabilitation exercises. ✓
3. Drink 500 ml of water. ✓
4. Study for 30 minutes. ✓
5. Help at Grandpa's Noodles. ✓
Tasks Completed: 5 / 5
Reward: +3 System Points
System Points: 40 / 100
---
Vash smiled.
"Forty."
Then his thoughts returned to the recipe book.
He closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, he would ask Grandma again.
This time, he wanted answers.
And somewhere in the old book was a recipe that had been passed down through generations.
A recipe Vash had never seen before.
A recipe that might change everything.